Infantry-fire-control rule or scale.



S. D. BUTLER.

INFANTRY FIRE coNIRoL R'ULE 0R SCALE.

APPLICAHON FILED Aua23. 1915.

S. D. BUTLER.

INFANTRY FIRE CONTROL RULE 0R SCALE.

APPLICATIONy FILED Auaza. IsIs.

1.277.191 y Patented Aug. 27, I9I8.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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S. D. BUTLER.

I INFANTRY FIRE CONTROL RULE 0R SCALE. APPLlcAnoN man AuG.23. :915.

1,277, 1 91 Patented Aug. 27, |918. I

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MED STATES lljAlllNTr @FFCE s'ivIEDLEY n. BUTLER, 0E WESTk CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, As'sIGNoE or 'ONE-HALE To PETER ABEAi/Is, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

INPANTRYPIEEQooNTEoL RULE 0E soALE.

To all whom t may concern f Be it known that I SMEDLEY D. BUTLER a citizen of the United States, and a resi-y dent of lV est Chester, Chester county, Penn- Qsylvania, have invented an Improved Infantry-Fire-Control Rule or Scale, of Which the followingis a specication.

l My invention relates' to devices employed to regulate or indicate the proper sighting of a rifle in that form of Warfare in, Which the enemy is invisible to the iii-ing line; Iand the object of my invention is to provide a structure designedto indicate a certain line or ,area at a `given range whereby infantry fire vmay be regulated or controlled in order that-the most e'ective use of-'the ammuni-v tion employed'may be secured.

My invention comprises a scale or*v ruler which may be approximately' eight to twelve inches iin-length, and about yian inchin'diaineter,=` and 'which may be hexagonal, round .Gesuchl other shape as may be desired, whichV scale or ruler` carries slidable referencemembers. The scale or ruler is provided with a cord so that it may be worn about the neck of an yofficer or other person servingv as a fire control leader, thecord being of;sucli a` length lthat the scale or ruler-may befheld at a point substantially twelve inches from the eye of the observer -When the cordyis fully extended. j I s? These and other features of my invention are more fully. described hereinafter, reference being had -to 'theaccompanyingdraw ings,inWhich: k Figure 1, is a kperspective View of one -form of scale or. Aruler embodying my..in vention; Figg 2,- is a longitudinal Asec'tiinal ViewY of the same; 5 Fig. 3, is a cross sectional vie F gs. i4: .and 5,- are-perspectivevievvsof other formsy of scales or rulerswithin the scope offmyinvention; n Y v r., iFigs. 6 and 7, are cross sectionalyievvs of the same respectively;l f

Fig. 8,1`isia'view showing Whichlthe-scale or rulefisused, and: f

Fig. 9, is a diagrammatic View .shuiingj the mannerin which lirel froina single squad is distributed. s i; l f n. Y

The "scales which I `employ,l preferably twelve, in number, although therefV may' be morefif fdesired, are r carried 1. uponf-the sur face ofrafru-ler,1,-Which may -be round," hexagonal, 'octagonal, orfany` otherk shape dethe ,ma-nner. inV

d 'Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented ArlvlgQY, Application filed August 23, 1915.V Serial No; 46,960. i

scalev or ruler are. reference members or pointers 2. which are employed inconnection .With thefscale markings to indicatethe number of men of. each firing squad, platoon or division; each unit division representing aV squad of eightmen.y r' -Y j' YIn the form of structure shownin F igsfl, 2 and 3, the bar constituting the ruler is round andcarries twelve scales, The reference members or. pointers 2 are j annular bands, andv one'or more of the same..l may carry numbers indicating the yyard ranges.y They' may be' grooved internally at l tofit overlongitudinal guides 5 carried by. the bar, or the latter may be grooved and the Vreference members providedV With projections to fit-the saine, asV shown in Fig. 5. Thereference `members 2`may additionally be provided Withsiiring'ngers 6to increase the vfriction and insure them retaining their position :when set.` f

In'theV form of structure shownlin Figs. 4 and 6, the reference members ,2a may have laterally disposed spring fingers Gato/'hold them frictionally in place, 'or vin. the form shownin Figs. 5 and7,.in which a round ruleris indicated, the latter maybe grooved at 4a for the reception of lugs 5a carried by the reference membersb. V y

VThe ruleris preferably yhollovs7 and may 'haveVV knobs orghandles atA thevends connectecltoremovable screiv caps orfplugs-S ,n closingtlie open ends,ofthe'rule, as, shown in Fig. 2. 'The knobs, maycarry4 various tools orinstqruments Vof value to the usen-,as foiainstance, a 'compass 10, a whistle 11,' or

Va pencil 12,7or Vanygother.'sinallwmemberdof a similar character of futility iin the field. A corjd `13 risf'connected to ktheei'ids @of the ruler--softliat it may be held'at aV proper dis-f tance ffromv the eye of. the usei, about -twelvey inches.. If desired, in order. that Y the, ruler may be. turned Y relativelygto f the eyey of the observer Without Winding thecord, the` lati ter may-be attached' toannular bands; at the ends of the rulerV rotatable With'respect to the saine,- f-

In use, theLscaleishung around the neck oflthe user by the cord, Whichis of E such* length that .Whenfiextendedto its greatest eX-` substantially tent the rule maybe held twelvejinches from the eye.f Vi,

, Thezone of attack Will beany known f range. observed between anyztvvo vof space at the n V.so

the reference members; one of said reference distributed fire at definite lateral spaces,

from a firing squad, company, or battalion, at any given range.

The' unit divisions of the respective scales, each subtend, when the rule is held twelve inches in front of the eye, one 'squad front, or eight -yards,`at eightrhundred, nine hundred, ten'hundred, eleven hundred', twelve hundred yards &c., respectively, depending upon the number of scales carried on the ruler. 1

VA' squad front is selected, as the squad is the unit most likely toV remain Aat full strength and is the most suitabley unit for use inire distribution. Three or more sliding indicators are provided, (usually three) vone being used to cover the reference point, the other two to bracket the objective. At one thousand yards, each division on the one thousand yard scale is about equal to eight points of windage, and the members 'of ythe squad, each aiming at the onepoint,will'set their windage sight laterally at the one thou-A sand i, yard range one point with `vrespect to their fellows; that vis to say, if the aiming point is to the left of the'.squad, l\lo.ly man on right will set hisl windage scale to thfe right the full distance or eight points, No.2 man will set his at seven points, andlso lon until No. 8 man will set his sight atene point, as indicated in Fig. 9.

Object to be obit ned by its ase.-Under .modern conditions troops are seldom 'visible on" battle-jelds, hence targets for troops firing are rare# It is necessary, in order to produce any results, to have an aiming point for each 'soldier iiring, j therefore, as the enemy is not visible to each man, `there will be great waste of ammunition unless some other` aiming point is givenY him.

(a') By theuse'ofthis rulerfauxiliary or false' aiming points, trees, bushes, fences, houses, telegraph poles, etc'., inl front of the enemys line; in his line, or in rear of'it, are selected, and 'fire data given each soldier, causing an even "dispersion or distribution of shots over atarget at the indicated range. n (b) Byjits use a luniform method of describing or picking upy points is "assured throughout an organization, andfshould the selected-point become confused -with others, owing to excitement,change ofuposition', etc.,

it may be rapidly4 andaccurately-foundl again.

(c) By its'use*` only the company ecmmander need' actually see or know, the exact position of the enemy, and `thementir-ing Atypical description of its use is as fol- Y lows A regimental commander selects a promi nent objectV in the landscape, one that cannot be mistaken, as a reference point; assembles his battalion commanders, wlio are equipped with this ruler; pointswout the position. of the f enemy Vand the reference point, and assigns each battalion commander his objective in terms of squad fronts, as per example. Y 80 'Each battalion commanderplaces one'of the reference members 2 on reference point, and brackets his objective with other indicators on his scale, assembles his company commanders, points out reference point and assigns objective to each company as per example.4 v v Each company commander places one of vthe reference members 2 -on reference point, and brackets his objective with other indicators, picks out aiming points, within his objective, in the Venemys line, in rear or a short distance in front of it, which are l visible from his firingy line, and not more than six-squad fronts or' forty-eight yards apart; (for convenience of aiming this di`s` tance should not be morethan twenty-five yards apart);V He then assembles l his section leaders, points out reference point and if possible, the enemy, and bythe use' of 100 scale 'on' ruler, each aiming point as'per emmplef Y Y Section or platoon'leaders place one of thereference members 2 on reference point and bracket their objective with 106 other indicators by means of ruler,'point out aiming points to squad rleaders and give windage points to each squad necessary to distribute'nre over section objective.

It will be understood also, that my im- 110 proved'rule o'rfsc'ale 'may be employed in a verticalposition tO'develpthe elevation of a gun forV the respective ranges* by the. well known methods of range finding. i

Iclaim'zfj" V f *#1.' Ascalefo'rrulefo controlling infantry fire, comprising a bar' divided into ,longitu .dinal sections representing ranges in' yards, each longitudinal* section-l subdivided equally into unit sections bearing adefinite relation 120 to the ranges ofthe 'rst mentioned sections, and reference members slidably mounted yon saidbar. w Y f 2. `A scale lor rule forc'ontrolling `infantry re, comprising a bar divided intolongitu- 125 dinal sections representing ranges in yards, eachlongitudinal section subdivided equally into u nit sections bearing a definite relation tothe ranges ofthe first mentioned sections,

reference'fmerribers slidably mounted on said 130 bar, and guiding means for said reference members. i n Y 3. A scale or rule for controlling infantry fire, comprising a bar divided into longitudinal sections representing ranges in yards, each longitudinal section subdivided equally into unit sections bearing a definite relation to the ranges of the first mentioned sections, reference members slidably mounted on said bar, guiding means for said reference members, and friction means carried by said reference members to hold them in adjusted positions-on said bar.

Il. A scale or rule for controlling infantry fire, comprising an elongated bar divided into longitudinalsections representing ranges in definite units of measurement, each of said longitudinal sections being subdivided equally into unit sections bearing a definite relation to the ranges of the lirstmentioned sections, and a reference member slidably mounted on said bar. Y

i 5. A scale or rule for controllingV infantry fire, comprising an elongated bar divided into longitudinal sections representing ranges in definite units of measurement; each longitudinal section being subdivided equally into unit sections bearing a definite relation to the ranges of thefirst-mentioned sections, reference members slidably mounted on said bar and means connected to the ends of such scale or rule whereby it may be conveniently held a proper distance from the eye to subtend eachof said unit divisions one squad front at the respective ranges. Y l, SMEDLEY D. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents 'Washington, D. C. y y

lt is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,277,191, granted August 27,

1918, upon the application of Smedley D. Butler, of West Chester, Pennsylvania,

for an improvement in Infantry-Fire-ControlRules or Scales, an error appears requiring correction as follows: Sheet 3 of the drawings, containing Fig. 10, should be canceled, it forming no part of the Letters Patent.; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office. i

Signed and sealed this 15th day of April, A. 1)., 1919.

[SEAL] i F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commfissioner of Patents.

Cl. ST5- 64. 

